Self-anchoring post



pm M. ,E. EW-ms SELF ANCHORIHG POST Original Filed Jan. 5; 1921 2Sheets-Sheet 1 F'IELl- 'lNVE/VTOE wlnvegsfs April 27, 1926.

M. E. EVANS SELF ANCHORING POST Original Filed Jan. 5. 1921 2Sheets-Sheet 2 Wm P Q* m N6 5 n mw a m F A m F M 1 c a E l-- fl 1 4 n Fa i M w a l LE!!! 1 M I T M% 0 Apr. lifit rarest MARTIN E. EVANS, 0FKANKAKEE, ILLINOIS,

SELF-ANCHQBING POST.

Application filed January 5, 1921, Serial No. 435,107. Renewed March 5,1925.

To (2121 whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, MARTIN E. EVANS, a

citizen of the United States, and a resident of Kanlrairee, in thecounty of Kanlralzee and State of Illinois, have invented a new anduseful Improvement in Self-Anchoring Posts, of which the following is aspecification. 1

The invention relates to posts which are adapted to be driven into theground, and while unlimited to posts for any specific purpose, itisparticularly applicable to fence posts andis so illustrated herein.

The principal object of the invention is to provide a post soconstructed that its bottom portion will readily spread laterally by orin consequence of the pressure 01 earth when the post is driven into theground and thereby render the post self-anchoring. Further objects oftheinvention will appear in the following description of it.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying sheets of drawings ofwhich Fig. 1 is a view of one side of a fence post; Fig. 2 a view of theside of the post taken at right angles to that of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 avertical sectional view to enlarged scale of the lower end of the post;the plane of view being indicated by the lines ITTIH, Fig. 2, and inthis figure the form of a post after it has been driven is indicated indotted lines; Fig. 4i a plan view of the'post, the form of the postafter it has been driven being indicated in dotted lines; Fig. 5 a sideview of the botton portion of a post showing a modification ofconstruction; Fig. 6, a view of the post of Fig. 5 after the post hasbeen driven; Figs. 7, 8 and 9, side views of the bottom portions ofposts showing modi,

iications of construction; Fig. 10,a sectional view taken on the lineXX, Fig. 9; Fig. 11, a side view ot a post similar to that shown inFigs. 1, 2 and 3, but provided with spread-restraining means: Fig. 12,side view of the bottom portion of a post show ing a still furthermodification of construction; Figs. 13 and 14:, sectional views takenrespectively on the lines XTV-XTV and XV XV, Fig. 12; Fig. 15, a view toenlarged scale of a detail of construction oi the post of Figs 12, 13and 14, the plane of view being indicated by the line XVT-XVT, Fig. 14:and Fig. 16 a View of the bottom various types of tubing.

portion of the post of Fig. 12 after the post has been driven.

In the practice of the invention, the post is provided with a laterallyextending lug, or its equivalent, against which earth presses when thepost is driven and the bot tom of the post has an anchoring portionwhich is spreadable laterally by or in consequence of the pressure outearth upon the lug. The post is preferably tubular, particularly at itslowerend, and may be formed of t is illustrated in the drawings as beingformed, in some instances, of tubes having longitudinal open seams, andin other instances of tubes which may be either seamless or weldedtubes.

In the preferred form of the invention, a lug or lugs extend across theinterior of the post above, its lower endand resist the passage of earthupwardly through the tube, with the result that lateral pressure isapplied to the interior of the tube to spread the anchoring portionoutwardly. As illus trated in Figs. 1%, inclusive. two pressureresistinglugs 1 may be formed 01" portions of the wall of the tubular post 2 andbentinwardly, one above the other. The post shown in these figures hasan open seam 3, which extends upwardly from the bottom of the post, andthe lugs are arranged, one on each side of the seam. i l hen the post isdriven, earth freely passes upwardly through its interior untilth'e'post has been driven to such depth that the earth bears against thelowermost lug 1. Further driving of the post causes the earth in itsbottom to be placed under pressure, which, acting as fluid pressure,spreads the lower end, of the post substantially to the form indicatedin dotted lines at a, the result being that the post becomes firmlyanchored in the ground.

To minimize the resistance of the lower end of the post to spreading,particularly when the post is formed of rather heavy gage material,slits or cuts 5 may be formed longitudinally of the post at a shortdistance from its lower end. These slits weaken the metal, and as manyof them may be provided as found necessary to render a post of anyparticular gage easily spreadable by the earth pressure acting upon thelugs in the manner described. When the post is used as a fence post, itmay be provided with out wardly extending lugs (l spaced at the de--sired intervals, such lugs being cut "from and bent laterally of thetube for the purpose of supporting wire fence.

in place of using a pair of lugs such as illustrated in the post ofFigs. 1-1, a single laterally extending lug 7 may be cut from the metalof the post and bent across the interior, as indicated in Figs. and 6.The post shown in these figures further differs from that of Figs. 1-lin that it is provided with a long longitudinal slit 8 substantiallyopposite to the open seam tr. Such slit forms a separating planelongitudinally ot the post in addition to the sep :2 'ating plane termedby the seamtl. hen the post is driven, the pressure of earth acting uponthe lug 7 auses the lower end of the post to expand to substantially theshape indicated in Fig. 6.

It is not necessary that the pressure-re sisting lugs be formedintegrally of the post. In the post of Fig. 7, a pressure-resisting lug10 formed of a separate piece of metal exends transversely of theinterior ot the tube and is riveted or welded to the tube in the mannerindicated. Also. instead of ex panding the lower end of the post in theplane of a longitudinal open seam or slit, the lower end of the postmay, as illustrated in Fig. 7, be provided with a plurality t tlulzes lltermed by cutting portions of the metal from the post. The flukes may berendered more easily spreadable and the metal less liable to tear byproviding taper openings 12 at the upper ends of the slots of spacesbetween the fiukes. The post illustrated in this figure may have an openseam, but is preferably formed of a tube without such seam. hen the postis driven, the lug 1O resists the upward flow or" earth and therebycauses the earth to press laterally upon the flakes 11 and spread themoutwardly.

In the post of Fig. 8, the pressure-resisting lug is in the term of aninverted cone 1% secured to the interior of the post in the same manneras the lug of Fig. 7. The anchoring portions 01 the post in this termcomprises tlulzes 15 formed of separate pieces of metal attached to theexterior of the post which is provided with an opening 16 beneath eachfluke. The pressure of the earth within the lower end of the post actsthrough the opening 16 to spread the llukes 15 outwardly.

in all the forms of the invention thus far described, the laterallyextending lugs for causing the outward spreading of the anchoringportion of the post are arranged within the posts at a distance fromtheir lower ends. The self-anchoring of the post may be similarly ejliected by arranging lugs at the lower end of the post. As shown in Figs.9 and 10, this may be done by torming flakes 17 at the lower end of thepost and providing the ends of such fluke with lugs 18 having taperedends 19 which resist the upward passage of earth into the tube andaccordingly cause the llul-to v to be spread outwardly.

In the forms o'f posls illustrated in Fi n 9 and 10, the lateralspreading ol' the ill or anchoring portions commences as soon 11: orvery shortly after, the post, ut-:1 ground. ll it is desired to somewlthis spreading action, a. shallow hol dug in the ground, in which ho ethe inserted and then driven. It I vention contemplates the prov on 0tmeans for holding the anchor-in port ions ol' the post against spreadingduriir the initial driving of the post, such men is being rcleasahleafter the post has been driven to the special depth at which it isdesired to have th anchoring portion spread.

s to thin i: (ll

end are illustrated in the po. 1346, particularly, in Figs. 1

and l-l. post in this is ancc is prov n or wings 2 secured to the exterpost. it the lower end of the (lakes. there is a metal strap Qt providedwith looped ends, through which loops there e.-;ien l.-; a rod which maybe withdrawn at any time during the driving oi the poet. When withdrawn, the strap no longer holds the ilulics outwardly to form ananchor. )Lrnit'estly, such means for so restraining the spreading of theanchoring portion may be applied to the other forms of posts shownherein.

For example, in Fig. 11 there is illustrated the form of post shown inFigs. 1, Q and pro 'ided with a metal strap 2i and rod Suchspread-rcstraining means may be advantageously used on posts of thistype to prevent premature spreading when the posts are formed ofrelatively thin metal.

In the post of Figs. 1246, a means is provided l'or resisting reversehealing ol the tlulies in case the post is pulled iip\\'ardl Preferably,a special member is provided for holding the llUkQS outwardly, suchmember including a collar surronmlingthe lower end (it the post andlongiludiuallv slidahlc thereon. The collar prov ded with outwardlyextending vanes. ml. one being arranged below eacli oi the liuhes l. Thecollar is also provided with a projection ii which extends through aslot 1% i'orn'ie l in the wall of the post. This proiection is providedwith a hook adapted to engage de tents 25) formed adjacent to such slotand to thereby hold the collar against downward movement both before andafter the drivim of the post. n

When the post is driven. the spreading of the tlulqes 2 is eliected bythe pressure 01 the earth acting upon the ends of the tlukes.

7 to spread.

The collar 30 then. moves upwardly as the post is driven and finallytakes the position indicated in Fig. 16, in which the vanes 26 hold thefiukes E2?) outwardly. The collar 30 is held positively in its upperposition by the engagement of the lug 27 with one of the notches 29.

[it is characteristic of the several embodiments of the inventionillustrated herein that the post is provided interiorly with a lugwhich, by reason of the earth pressure incident to the driving of thepost causes the anchoring portion of the post to spread laterally. Aspreviously explained, these lugs may be arranged in various positions.In all cases, they eliminate the necessity of providing means, separateand apart from the post, for causing the anchoring portions In otherwords, the post, previous to its being driven, is so formed that thedesired anchoring may be readily efleeted.

I claim:

1. A self-anchoring post having a lug'as' a part thereof extendinginwardly from its outer wall and against which'earth presses whenthepostis driven, and having a bottom anchoring portion spreadablelaterally in consequence of said pressure of earth upon said lug.

2. A self-anchoring tubular post having as a part thereof a lugextending across its interior above its lower end against which lugearth presses when the post is driven, and having a bottom anchoringportion spreadable laterally in consequence of the pressure of earthupon said lug.

A self-anchoring tubular post having as a part thereof a lug extendingacross its interior above its lower end against which earth presses whenthe post is driven, and having a bottom anchoring portion spreadablelaterally in consequence of the pres sure of earth upon said lug, andreleasable means for holding said anchoring portion against spreadingduring the initial driving of the post.

l. A selt-anchoring'post having an expandible tube at its lower end, thetube being open at the bottom and provided with a longitudinal open seamextending upward ly from the bottom of the tube, and a lug secured tothe tube and extending across its interior and adapted, when the post isdriven, to resist the passage of earth upwardly through the tube wherebylateral pressure is applied to the interior of the tube to spread itslower end outwardly.

5. A self-anchoring post comprising a bendable metal tube open at thebottom and provided with a longitudinal open seam extending upwardlyfrom the bottom of the tube, and a lug secured to the tube near its.lower end and extending across its" interior and adapted, when the postis driven, to. resist the passage of earth upwardly through the tubewhereby lateral pressure isapplied to the interior of the tube to spreadits lowerend outwardly.

6. A self-anchoring post comprising a bendable metal tube open at itsbottom and provided with a longitudinal open seam extending upwardlyfrom the bottom of the tube, and a lug stamped from the tube wall nearits lower end and bent inwardly across the interior of the tube andadapted, when the post is driven, to resist the passage of earthupwardly through the tube whereby lateral pressure isapplied to theinterior of the tube to spread its lower end laterally.

7. A self-anchoring post comprising a bendable metal tube open at itsbottom and provided with a longitudinal open seam eX- tending upwardlyfrom the bottom of the tube, and a pair of lugs stamped from the tubewall near its lower end one on each side of said seam, said lugs beingbent inwardly one immediately above the other across the interior of thetube.

8. A self-anchoring post having a laterally extending lug against whichearth presses when the post is driven, and having a bottom anchoringportion spreadable laterally in consequence of the pressure of earthupon said lug, and releasable means for holding said anchoring portionagainst spreading during the initial driving of the post.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand.

MARTIN E. EVANS.

